How to run Windows Updates from Command Line in Windows 10

Windows Update is one of the most highlighted features of Windows 10. Because with the release of Windows 10, Windows was offered to the customers as a service rather than a product. Under the scenario of Software as a Service, this led to the Windows Updates on Windows 10 being on by default and without an option for anyone to disable it. Now, while some criticized this move by Microsoft, ultimately this is a step towards the customer’s greater good. Because Windows Update helps the users stay secured against all kinds of threats and provide them with the latest and the greatest from Microsoft. So, those who appreciate this service, today we are going to talk about another way to run these updates.

Run Windows Updates from Command Line

The following methods will be carried out to run Windows Update from Command Line on Windows 10,

Using Windows Powershell.

Using Command Prompt.

1] Run Windows Update using Windows Powershell

Running Windows Updates on Windows Powershell will require you to manually Install the Windows Update module, Get Windows Updates downloaded and Install Windows Updates. And for this, open Windows Powershell by searching for Powershell in the Cortana search box and run it with Administrator level privileges.

Then type in,

Install-Module PSWindowsUpdate

to install the Windows Update module for Windows Powershell.

After that,

Get-WindowsUpdate

to connect to the Windows Update servers and download the updates if found.

Finally, type in,

Install-WindowsUpdate

to install the Windows Updates downloaded on your computer.

2] Run Windows Update using Command Prompt

Command Prompt on Windows Operating Systems exists since a very long time whereas Windows Powershell is comparatively new. Hence, it has similar capabilities to run Windows Updates, but the highlighting point here is that you do not need to download any module for Windows Updates.

First, open Command Prompt by searching for cmd in the Cortana search box and run it with Administrator level privileges.

Click on Yes for the UAC Prompt that you get.

Finally, type in the following commands and hit the Enter key in order to perform the respective operations,

Start checking for updates:

UsoClient StartScan

Start downloading Updates:

UsoClient StartDownload

Start installing the downloaded updates:

UsoClient StartInstall

Restart your device after installing the updates:

UsoClient RestartDevice

Check, Download and Install Updates:

UsoClient ScanInstallWait

It is worth noting that, the Command Prompt commands mentioned above are just meant for Windows 10. For older versions of Windows, you need to use the following commands,

Ayush has been a Windows enthusiast since the day he got his first PC with Windows 98SE. He is an active Windows Insider since Day 1 and is now a Windows Insider MVP. He has been testing pre-release services on his Windows 10 PC, Lumia, and Android devices.